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Theater

“Good People.” Great play.Maybe one of the greatest about our current America. “Good People” delves into the emotional epicenter of struggling poor Americans, people for whom work and shelter are as available as the next paycheck. These aren’t your panhandler caricatures or disenfranchised common criminals, despite what misconceptions about lower-paid adults may have you b…

“The Iliad,” Homer’s epic poem of the Trojan War and one of the greatest stories ever told, nonetheless triggers an involuntary boredom reflex in many adults.This could be for any number of reasons: a less-than-enthusiastic high school English instructor, a plodding or overly flowery translation, or merely a gut assumption that such an ancient story must have been rendered…

Few recent Broadway shows have been more divisive than Diane Paulus’ revival of “Porgy and Bess,” a phenomenal touring version of which opened Tuesday in Shea’s Performing Arts Center.Critics of the new version charge that it does a disservice to George and Ira Gershwin and DuBose and Dorothy Heyward’s 1935 original by pulling its archetypal African-American characters too…

“Good People.” Great play.Maybe one of the greatest about our current America. “Good People” delves into the emotional epicenter of struggling poor Americans, people for whom work and shelter are as available as the next paycheck. These aren’t your panhandler caricatures or disenfranchised common criminals, despite what misconceptions about lower-paid adults may have you b…

“The Iliad,” Homer’s epic poem of the Trojan War and one of the greatest stories ever told, nonetheless triggers an involuntary boredom reflex in many adults.This could be for any number of reasons: a less-than-enthusiastic high school English instructor, a plodding or overly flowery translation, or merely a gut assumption that such an ancient story must have been rendered…

Few recent Broadway shows have been more divisive than Diane Paulus’ revival of “Porgy and Bess,” a phenomenal touring version of which opened Tuesday in Shea’s Performing Arts Center.Critics of the new version charge that it does a disservice to George and Ira Gershwin and DuBose and Dorothy Heyward’s 1935 original by pulling its archetypal African-American characters too…

Draft the proclamation. Call the mayor. Dust off the ceremonial keys.If Tuesday isn’t officially Suzan-Lori Parks Day in Buffalo, it should be.In a serendipitous turn of events that has the city’s literary and theater communities buzzing, the acclaimed playwright and novelist will appear here Tuesday for two high-profile events: A reading and performance in K…

Draft the proclamation. Call the mayor. Dust off the ceremonial keys.If Tuesday isn’t officially Suzan-Lori Parks Day in Buffalo, it should be.In a serendipitous turn of events that has the city’s literary and theater communities buzzing, the acclaimed playwright and novelist will appear here Tuesday for two high-profile events: A reading and performance in Kleinhans Music…

During many opening-night performances in the Irish Classical Theatre Company’s cozy theater-in-the-round on Main Street, patrons got used to hearing John Phelan’s high-pitched laugh emanating from the crowd.Within a few minutes of the start of a show, cast members could tell by that distinctive laugh that Phelan, a longtime company board member and former Buffalo mayoral …

During many opening-night performances in the Irish Classical Theatre Company’s cozy theater-in-the-round on Main Street, patrons got used to hearing John Phelan’s high-pitched laugh emanating from the crowd.Within a few minutes of the start of a show, cast members could tell by that distinctive laugh that Phelan, a longtime company board member and former Buffalo mayoral …

Aerial dance is finally coming in from the fringe. The demanding discipline, which began to gain traction in the 1970s and has remained largely outside the mainstream, was the central appeal of pop singer Pink’s recent performance at the Grammy Awards. Closer to home, aerial dance played a major role in Buffalo Laboratory Theatre’s production of “Cyrano” in the 710 Main Th…

In the mythological version of the 1950s that lives on in the popular imagination, everything was bright and clean, and everyone was charmingly naive. In the real 1950s, American life was quite a bit darker and more complicated than our “Leave it to Beaver” notions.Take morphine abuse, for instance. It is the dark heart that beats in Michael Gazzo’s play “A Hatful of Rain,…

In the mythological version of the 1950s that lives on in the popular imagination, everything was bright and clean, and everyone was charmingly naive. In the real 1950s, American life was quite a bit darker and more complicated than our “Leave it to Beaver” notions.Take morphine abuse, for instance. It is the dark heart that beats in Michael Gazzo’s play “A Hatful of Rain,…

There are few painters whose work invites contemplation more easily or with more immediate rewards than Mark Rothko, whose luminous canvases can have an almost spiritual effect on the open-minded viewer. Rothko’s work and his 1956 painting “Orange and Yellow” from the collection of the Albright-Knox Art Gallery will be the focus of a talk from Albright-Knox Chief Curator D…

There are few painters whose work invites contemplation more easily or with more immediate rewards than Mark Rothko, whose luminous canvases can have an almost spiritual effect on the open-minded viewer. Rothko’s work and his 1956 painting “Orange and Yellow” from the collection of the Albright-Knox Art Gallery will be the focus of a talk from Albright-Knox Chief Curator D…